BENGALURU: Since Amitabh Rai’s father was a pilot with the Air Force, eagerly awaiting the arrival of a trunk full of rum was a monthly affair for him and his college friends. “It would take one evening and 12 people to finish 12 bottles of the drink,” says Rai sheepishly as we sit on the table closest to the bar counter at the soon-to-be-launched bar at The Ritz-Carlton, Bangalore. It is exactly this sense of nostalgia and comradery that he hopes to offer to guests at RumBah, which true to its name is a rum bar that primarily focuses on and celebrates the spirit in all its glory, and is touted to be the first such outlet in India.
Taking us back to the idea behind the bar, Rai, the general manager of the hotel, expresses surprise at the response he got from friends who are today CEOs and managing directors at various companies when he floated the idea past them. “I was amazed at the excitement it generated. Rum is a part and parcel of your college days. Irrespective of where you reach or whether you drink single malts or cognac now, when you want to sit with friends, it all comes down to rum,” he explains, adding that the place targets those who are aged 30 years and above.
The space, set to open its doors on August 10, truly evokes the spirit of the yesteryear days, proven by its cosy interiors, seating up to 70 people at max. The music changes mood and rhythm as the evening goes on, taking on a “chill vibe” thanks to its reggae and hip hop tunes, with some throwback Snow Patrol thrown in for a good mix. The long communal table opposite the lit bar only adds to the laidback vibe, giving us the impression that this can easily be the place to go to with a big gang of old buddies or make a new friend or two with this particular seating option.
In a city where a new microbrewery pops up every other day (Bengaluru currently has more than 60), it’s interesting to see how RumBah turns conventional menus on their heads by dedicating most of their collection to the spirit adored by pirates, including rums from Trinidad and Tobago (Kraken), Guyana (El Dorado 12 Year Aged Calypso), Venezuela (Cacique Ron Anejo Rum) and Dominican Republic (1888 Ron Gran Reserva Familiar).
RumBah’s mixologist Gaurav Dhyani spent hours on end actually charting out the various flavours he could experiment with to create some fun signature cocktails (starting at `750) that go beyond the quintessential rum and coke combo everyone begins with. Take, for example, the Evening Cup. Dark rum, cognac and vanilla infused rum meets milk, maple syrup, cacao bitters and nutmeg to come together to create, what Dhyani calls, Christmas in a cup.
The bright pink-hued Lavender Delight does something equally fun, combining hibiscus sous vide rum (a method that follows temperature control and slow and long cooking), lavender bitters and grapefruit tonic water. The Midnight Maitai proves that all that glitters is not gold, sometimes its edible gold dust. In this case, sprinkled over Signature Rum Blend, Cointreau, Orgeat, lime, edible charcoal and oleo saccharum.
But what good is a drink without some bar snacks? Keeping in mind the theme of the place, chef Ajay Athawale’s mix of Caribbean provide just the right spice that goes well with the cocktails. We soon learn that those dishes are spiced with Habanero chillies, costing no less than `5,000-`6,000 a kg. Indian dishes, on the other hand, carry flavours of Chettinad spices and is an interesting take on comfort food that goes well with alcohol.
Like Rai, Athawale’s father too had a military connection as he manufactured battle tanks. As the evening slowly turns into night, the conversation eventually moves on to the chef’s earliest memories of rum or to pranks (involving make-believe ghosts) that Rai and his friends played on unsuspecting drivers. A hearty laugh later, we take our leave, surprised by how easily rum evokes the spirit of the good old days for many.